Page 51 of Soul Sucker

“How about silverware?” She jumped off her stool and rummaged in the drawer for some knives and forks. “I have napkins somewhere too.”

She put everything on the countertop near where Vadim was cooking, but he was busy with a hundred different tasks, draining the pasta, removing the fish from the broiler and plating everything up. Somewhere he’d found two mats and he put them side by side arranging the plates and silverware symmetrically on top.

Ella climbed back onto her seat and reached for the salt and pepper. “This looks awesome.”

Vadim took the seat beside her and deftly removed the salt from her hand. “Try it first before you add seasoning. I’ll get the wine.”

She waited until he returned with two glasses and the frosted bottle of white chardonnay.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He poured the wine, making sure they both had exactly the same amount. “I hope you enjoy it. It’s been a long day.”

“It’s been a horrible day.” She took a healthy slug of the wine and Vadim winced. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s not beer. Sip it so that you can appreciate the flavor.”

“I should’ve known you were a wine snob as well as a food snob.”

“They do tend to go together.” He clinked his glass against hers. “Thanks for letting me stay over.”

She studied him over the rim of her glass. “I’m kind of glad you did.” She hesitated. “I’m not sure what I would’ve done if I’d been here by myself. Probably something stupid.”

He smiled. “Don’t let me stop you.”

She finished the wine and poured herself a second glass, forgetting she hadn’t eaten all day either. She ate some fish and discovered it was delicious and just perfect for her unsettled stomach.

“I need to be stopped sometimes. I’m too old to go out and pick up someone to while away a few naked sweaty hours of my life.”

“You’re not old.”

“I’m almost twenty-seven. That’s old for an empath.”

He sipped his wine. “Not if you agree to take an OCOS mate.”

She lowered her glass to glare at him. “And let Otherworld pick him? I’m not that stupid. And, all this ‘destined mate’ business, what a load of crap. Who wants to be tied to someone like that? It’s unnatural.”

“It will save your life.”

She finished her second glass of wine and felt it settle unhappily in her stomach. “What’s to save? A gatekeeper for two governments, or a person? No one cares about me, just about what I can do for them.”

Oh God, what was wrong with her? Why was she becoming maudlin in front of Morosov of all people? “Anyway, that’s enough about me. What happened to your brother?”

As she’d hoped, his smile faded and his concerned expression turned to ice. “I told you. He died.” He got down from his seat. “Would you like some coffee?”

“No dessert?”

“I bought organic dark chocolate. We can have it with our coffee.”

“I suppose it’s good for me and I bet the coffee is decaffeinated,” she grumbled. When she got down, the floorboards seem to slip around like the deck of the ship.

“Whoa.” Vadim caught her elbow and she clung to him. “Perhaps you’d better go straight to bed.”

She leaned into him and opened her eyes wide. “Only if you come with me.”

He set her gently onto her feet, holding her by the elbows. “I don’t think that would be a good idea.”

“Why not? You obviously want to get in my pants.”

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